Water Ripples
by Wealdwing
Summary: Filth is a rogue, a she-cat that has never ventured beyond her Two-legplace. Leaving, partnership and keeping your kits results in death. And, most importantly, step one paw on Amber's territory and you'll be ripped to pieces to be fed to the cursed mountain lion- Atlas.When Filth meets Amber, who turns out to be a soft, loving friend, and renamed 'Water' her live takes a new turn.
1. Chapter 1

**Water Ripples**

Hi. This is going to be a long story, with multiple twists and turns as we go along. This is a lot of fun to write about, seeing as I understand Amber – the villan- thoroughly.

**Summary**

Filth is a rogue, a she-cat that has never ventured beyond her Two-legplace. Leaving results in death, partnership results in death, and keeping your kits results in death. And, most importantly, step one paw on Amber's territory and you'll be ripped to tiny pieces which will then fed to the cursed mountain lion- Atlas. Named after ancient cilivazational beasts, Atlas is rumoured to be vicious, hungry and alas, territorial. When Filth meets Amber, who turns out to be a soft, loving friend, and renamed 'Water' her live is turned in another direction.

**Disclaimer:**

If I did own Warriors, it would be awful. No one would be on this site in the first place. So, just be grateful for that. All of these characters are mine, but the clans aren't.

Enjoy!

It was windy, and the water gleamed with the light of the moon. The leaves brushed against the strong gushes of air, and they rustled in protest. Almost every cat was asleep, except for the few.

"They are small, Atlas. I'm not sure why they're so tiny. A father, a mountain lion, and they are normal sized." A she-cat's voice was heard over the rush of the wind.

"That is good. They can go on to live a normal life, just like they were meant to. I'm taking them to different places. This one… this one shall rule the Two-legplace."

"Are you sure, Atlas? What about this one, which is a tom, which would be better respected." The she-cat meowed again.

"Sometimes a different soul earns more respect than six normal ones, just for their views." Atlas replied. "A she-cat must rule them. They would kill the other kits if they knew they were alive. A threaten to her throne. That's why we must separate them, to make them think otherwise."

"We should name them." The she-cat mewed. "So we know them. We should tell the cats to raise them the names we chose."

"Water, you know that they might take on different names." The mountain lion replied.

"Maybe," she replied. "The one to rule shall be called Amber."

The she-kit had soft grey fur, and brilliant wide amber eyes that she had only opened this morning. The other kits were yet to open their eyes.

"The tom shall be called Robin," Atlas added.

He flicked an ear at a golden coloured tom.

"This one shall be called Vine."

She pointed at the she-cat with the long, winding tail.

"Very well, Water. I'll take Amber to the Two-legplace, and seeing as no one knows who you are, you can take Robin and Vine to separate she-cats. I'll ask Jungle to help me."

Water licked Amber on the head in farewell. "Good luck, my kit."

Atlas licked Robin and Vine over the ears, and picked up the small grey bundle by the scruff.

He set off toward the Two-leg-place, a mewling kit squealing erratically for its mother.

He felt like he had made a huge mistake, letting the other kits go. But he shrugged it off, and delivered the small kit to the awaiting queen at the warden's den.

He didn't know that his mate, after dropping off Robin, had been ambushed and killed. By no other than the rogues he just gave his kit too.

**Like it? No? It gets a lot more exciting as it goes on. The main character isn't Amber, but she's one of them. **

**PLEASE leave a review, just a sentence or two. (I didn't even mean to rhyme there.)**

**Weald. (Should update soon.)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1- Shadowed Nights, Moon & Bitter Goodbyes

It was a shadowed, eerie night. Bright lights, like the stars above, hung like leaves from a large, grey trunk. There was only one leaf, with the light captured inside, on each trunk. The leaves illuminated the street, but hardly could contain the darkness that crept over the city. It was just past Moonhigh, and the moon itself hardly made a difference against the shadows.

Carried in another cat's jaws, the kitten -Filth- closed her eyes. She could feel the other cat's steps- _thump, thump, thump._ She listened, and focused, on that sound for a while. But soon it was joined by three other pairs of paws: _thump, thump, thump. _And again: _thump, thump, thump. _She listened until the sound lost its meaning. The other paws- where were they?

She opened her eyes, and looked to her right while swinging in the cat's jaws. She saw the three cats- all smirking and wiping blood off their claws and faces. Next to them lay a dead cat. Oh, the horror, the kit thought miserably. She recognised the face. That was her mother- the cat that was carrying her! She squirmed to look up at the cat that was carrying her, and was greeted by a moving skeleton of milky bones- the bones of her dead mother. She looked desperately at the figure, dead next to the other cats, and the face disappeared. It vanished from her memory, from the dead figure. She let out a dreadful wail; and its sound filled the night's silence.

She jumped upright, breathing heavily. It wasn't real. Was it? It was the only thing close to a memory she had of her own parentage… but, no. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't… real.

She crawled out of the rabbit den, and was met by the sound of birds and the green leaves rustling on the trees.

_-There was only one leaf, with the light inside, on each trunk-_

She shook each leg in turn and merrily trotted towards the barn.

As she approached it, she could hear the sound of paws-

_-thump, thump, thump. And again: thump, thump, thump-_

Stop it, she thought angrily. She entered the barn without greeting. She immediately froze as she saw a fat mouse raising a paw to the dirt- it was digging a new hole. It stuck its head into the small dip of earth, and she seized her cue.

She leapt, paws outstretched, and brought them together in between her forepaws. With a brief nip the spine, it was dead. She sniffed the cool air. Was there anymore mice? There were ten other cats living here- 3 being kits. Another three cats- two her age- were her friends. One taught her how to hunt for mice.

She smelt a mouse, to the right. Filth looked quickly, and saw the small animal. She took small, careful steps and leapt.

With another nip, it too was dead. She thanked the barn silently for the food they supplied for them to feed off of. And also, she thanked them for the stupidity of mice.

In another moment or two, Filth had caught three in total. She nipped its spine briskly, not wanting to wait any longer.

"Nice," a smooth voice informed her from behind. She whipped in the direction of the voice. It was Robin, that tom who had taught her to catch mice.

"Hi," she mewed through the mouse in her jaws. "Do you want this?"

She spat the mouse onto the dirt.

His muzzle was marked with his grin. "No, but Ginger might! She's expecting my kits now; I have to look after her in case the wood breaks."

She returned his expression. "That's great! Why the wood panels, it's above ground. It breaks, remember Misty?"  
The old she-cat had fallen to her death when Filth was three moons. Speaking of age- she was six moons now. That meant at this age she had to leave her adopted mother, Moon, due to the rules of the Twolegplace boss- Amber.

"Yeah, I remember her. But if Amber's crew comes around- they look in below ground dens. They would never suspect a queen to be all the way up there, where it's dangerous."

She nodded. "Well, wish Ginger good luck for me. Take the mouse."

"Why? Are you going somewhere?"

Filth flicked an ear. "Yeah I am. I can't let my- adopted, but alas- mother die, just because I stayed one more night than I needed to."

"Where are you going?" Robin asked curiously.

"To join Amber's crew. Maybe kill one or two, and die in the process, eh?"

Robin just stared. "Are you crazy?"

She flicked a pale grey ear. "They killed my mother, I'm just bringing justice. Maybe, like, become leader myself and demand they bring me catmint. Then, I'll tell to all go find a nice Twoleg and live a good life."

"You try that; it will be just as ridiculous as it sounds. Good luck, Filth."

"Thanks." She replied.

With a heavy chest, she made her way back to Moon for the last time.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Moon was horrified by the thought of living at the barn.

"I have to go, Moon; you know what they'll do to us if we stay together."

The she-cat shook her head stubbornly. "If you're leaving, I refuse to go to the barn."

"Come on- I already took all of our herbs and moss over to the barn. You'll love it there- all the mice you need. Not enough room for me, though. The other cats will protect you."

Moon's white and grey fur fluffed up. "I'm not staying in some stuffy old den until I die!"

"It's not stuffy." Filth retorted. "It's the coolest air I've ever felt. There's another she-cat there- your age, too- and other cats as well. I have to do business with Amber's crew."

"You are not!"

"I am too," Filth replied with her head held up to meet Moon's long neck. "Meanwhile, you'll catch up on some gossip in the barn. Do you want me to stay the night with you while you get used to it?"

It took half the day to get Moon into the barn. But when she did get comfy in the moss, she was already asleep. So, Filth decided to make things cosy for her mother. She put all of their herbs in a broad hole in the dirt, and told Ginger and Robin about Moon being just downstairs and if they could teach her to hunt. She brought them six mice for good luck with Ginger's kitting.

She had no reason to stay. Filth already felt like she had made her goodbyes- so she licked Moon over the head and laid out two mice for her to eat, alongside some catmint stolen from the nearby forest.

So she set out with a last glance back at her old, lovely adopted mother and set out to 'set paw' on Amber's territory.

**Please review. I accept criticism as well as praise and the norm. **

**Alas, more to come. I don't like the beginning but as it goes on the plot gets bigger and better. **

**Read Divergent if you haven't already. It's great.**

**Weald :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Water Ripples**

Chapter 2: The Grey Fur & the Mountains.

After she ventured several paces out of her area, Filth realised that she really was a pathetic rogue. She couldn't walk all that far due to undeveloped and misused muscles, she was plump and yet- young. Despite her face and the kit fur that still softened her pelt, she had the physical ability of an elder, or perhaps even a Kittypet.

A Kittypet- what she would have been if Moon hadn't found her. In a way, she was so glad that she wasn't a kittypet.

Filth kept on walking, with her head down, but made sure to steer clear of the Thunderpaths.

But, eventually, she recognised the forest that laid in the middle of the Two-legplace. The mountains were even further inland. The Twoleg nests circled the forests and mountains, enclosing it like a trap.

It wasn't until the sun burned a dark, furious red on the horizon that she stopped with a growling belly.

_I ate just before, _she thought. _I don't need to eat now; I need to teach myself to stand hunger. So that when I 'join' Amber, I will be tough. _

Filth circled a thick tree. It had long roots than weaved, and there was space under the huge roots. So, that's where she slept.

She groomed her light grey pelt, and with a final lick of her blue-grey chest she sent a glance around the small forest.

Filth curled up in a sharp ball behind the root. When she shut her eyes, the dreams came immediately.

_-It was a dark, eerie night- _

There were shadows, and the sound of paws.

_-And then again: thump, thump, thump.-_

A face, with blazing blue eyes tinted with something the colour of leaves. Like the pond belonging to the Twolegs of the nearby lazy kittypet, Cookie.

_-_ _A moving skeleton of milky bones- the bones of her dead mother-_

The face also had a short, thin grey tail and long, lithe legs between the dark shades of grey and blue. Then, it was gone.

_-It vanished from her memory, from the dead figure-_

The she-cat was gone- as was the memory, leaving only a pile of snow coloured bones and the smell of sweet scented milk.

She recognised it. It was the smell of kithood.

Filth woke with a start. The sun rose with a surrounding glow. The rest of the sky seemed dark, sullen, like the shadows of the night in her dream.

_-it was a dark, eerie night-_

That's enough, she thought to herself sternly. But there was something else, wasn't there? Was there another cat?

She couldn't remember, exactly.

A scent, was it that she had smelt?

She closed her eyes and imagined tasting the air- she then she remembered it- warm, like a Greenleaf day. It had the tang of something else that made it smell addictive. Beyond delicious, she thought, and then it dawned on her. It was the smell of milk- of kithood, and possibly the scent of her mother and siblings behind the smell.

She opened her eyes, and sniffed the air. The scent was gone, but a blow of gentle wind brought more scents. She sniffed again, and smelt: moss, a mouse, mouse dung, a shrew, blood, and distantly, the scent of cats.

Wait… blood?

She scented the air again. This time, there was only: mousedung, moss, a dead shrew, more blood, and again; cats.

It smelt like a colony of cats. But surely Amber's crew lived further on, in the other part of the city beyond this forest?

She remembered Ginger's mother telling her something one time: _"Amber is young. Four moons old, actually. She is very youthful, but she is wise. Like her father, Atlas the mountain lion. His kits are raised to be the next leaders of the Twolegplace. But they have to live close to him, near the mountains, in case of attack. If they are weakened, they run back to Daddy weakly through a series of secret underground tunnels that can only be accessed by those related- by any connection, mate, distantly, anything- to Atlas. It's a weak act, but Atlas is an immortal creature, captured by what's called the Grand Bosses of this city. That's for another day, hmm? Off you run. Moon will be worried a fox has gotten you."_

The mountains must be close to Amber. They should be easy enough to spot. They're very far from the barn, though. Still, more travel will be required.

She stood on a small hill of grass. She saw trees, the first section of the Twolegplace and the other forest.

She swung her head the other way, and was astonished by how close the mountains were. They were just… there. So close, that if she walked half the morning, she would be in the caves.

_Maybe I did walk further than I thought I could yesterday, _Filth thought grimly.

She thought about how far she must be from Moon, Robin and Ginger. She hoped they were okay, and that no one from Amber's crew had come to the barn. They might find a few more cats living together than those mouse-brains would like to imagine.

Amber and her crew must be close, if the mountains look so close you could touch them.

They were grey, an ugly, dark grey, not like the pelt of the cat in her dreams- which was a sharp grey, like stone, yet tinged with a blue.

Excitement rose in her throat like bile. She reached out further, for more details, more about this cat.

But it was too late- for one fast passing, precious moment, the gate to her dreams had opened. One piece had managed to scramble out, and soon enough her bridge to this cat was snapped.

Well then- blue and grey fur, like Filth's chest and underbelly. Yet the rest of her was a plain, light grey. Could it be? It seemed obvious- this cat was her mother. The milk scent reached her nose once more. She closed her eyes, and smiled with her muzzle raised to the sky.

For once, she had reached her parentage. A sharp grey pelt, coloured like stone, yet tinted with blue. The cat was her mother, and the scent- warm and rich- tasted of her kithood. She thought of her mother, who was torn away by death. But, now, her mother had come back into her memory- leaving the milk scent filling her nose and mouth.

It was bliss.

**Not great, but… well, I'll update in a few hours or something from now.**

**-Weald**


End file.
